E-waste trade flows from the EU to developing countries
As the consumption of electronics has increased rapidly the last years, so has the waste made up of discarded products. The UN estimates that up to 50 million tonnes of e-waste may be generated in the world each year, which is enough to fill a line of trucks stretching half way around the entire globe. A Western European household is expected to generate around 900 kilos of e-waste over a 20 year period. Electronic products improve and intensify our lives in many different ways, but their afterlives remain, to a large extent, an unsolved dilemma. read more lessrelated content
European Union: rules for batteries should cover bauxite, copper, iron
The European Union’s proposed batteries regulation should require importers and manufacturers to source the bauxite, copper, and iron used in batteries responsibly, a coalition of 16 organizations said today. The coalition includes Amnesty International, Earthworks,…
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read moreEuropean Parliament approval of draft Batteries Regulation is a welcome step towards just energy transition
SOMO and GoodElectronics welcome the EU draft legislation on batteries approved on Thursday by the European Parliament and call on EU member states to agree on the text without delays or attempts to water it…
State of play and roadmap concepts: electronics sector
How Big Tech is becoming the Government
Electric vehicle boom taking heavy social and environmental toll
Mass adoption of electric vehicles is widely seen by governments and businesses as a key element of the energy transition. But the soaring demand for batteries to propel these vehicles comes with devastating social and…
The battery paradox
Challenging Europe’s mining expansion plans
On 4 September 2020, the European Commission (EC) released a new communication detailing the future of its policies on mining raw materials critical for renewable energy, digital and industrial transitions in Europe. The EC’s public relations…
Time to start caring about cobalt
Large insurers do not tackle abuse in cobalt mining
The nine largest insurance groups in the Netherlands (Achmea, Aegon, Allianz, ASR, CZ, Menzis, NN Group, VGZ and Vivat) do not do enough to prevent or tackle serious human rights violations in the cobalt sector….